Approximation
Approximation is a mathematical and computational concept that involves finding a value or solution that is close to, but not exactly equal to, a target value or exact solution. It is widely used in computer science, engineering, and data analysis to simplify complex problems, reduce computational costs, or handle uncertainty. Common techniques include numerical methods, heuristic algorithms, and statistical estimation.
Developers should learn approximation when dealing with problems where exact solutions are computationally infeasible, such as in optimization, machine learning, or real-time systems. It is essential for tasks like algorithm design (e.g., using greedy algorithms for NP-hard problems), data processing (e.g., approximating large datasets with sampling), and performance tuning (e.g., approximating functions to speed up calculations).